The Heavenly Road: God Hunters

Chapter 016 Manager Zao (revision)

With just one sentence spoken by Ace, the two instantly fell silent on the spot. Although the two guards seemed to recognize his voice, Ace's petite form was not instantly recognizable to them. But with a single sentence coming out of his mouth, they instantly recognized his figure.

Asta tilted his head wondering why these two guards seemed to recognize who Ace was further away than him. But then, Asta remembered Ace's remark that in fact he was much older hundreds of years or even thousands of years.

Instead, the guard was also surprised to see Ace with a boy who looked to be around 12 years old. At first, they thought this boy was the son of a hunter in a rural village who was assigned to exchange his hunting products for the city, while Ace was a wolf child who they believed to be his pet. However, Ace immediately made things clear. The two guards then tried to look at it even more thoroughly to be sure.

"You, Your Majesty Kai-"

"Enough! Since when have you guys been so chatty?!" Cut the Ace quickly.

"Ahh, we apologize for our mistake!" Tell them both compactly.

"After looking at me carefully, did you realize? Or you guys are..." Ace did not continue his words, while exposing his sharp nails towards the two of them,"Look clearly, is not my jade is very beautiful," he said.

The two guards gasped in horror until they swallowed their own spit unconsciously. They rush to open the gate and make way for Ace to enter the city.

"After seeing you, where might we dare. Ohh yeah, kid, don't forget to buy a Mind Jade to make your Jade Marker later. You can make an identity as a traveler, but there will be a tax every time you enter the city" one of the guards told Asta.

"I will remember it and also thank you for the help, Uncle," he said, walking into the city.

The merchant train troupe that had just arrived immediately boarded the apitam saw the guards giving different treatment to Ace. They feel unfair because sometimes they have to wait first and even queue just to get a trading license.

"Hey...!!! Why are you letting him through so easily?! While we who are used to going in and out of the city still have to follow the licensing procedure first. Where is justice for us?!" exclaimed one of the merchants who had just arrived.

Listening to that, the other traders agreed with his opinion. How can they let a child of hunters pass just because they are young, whereas they have to obey licensing procedures that sometimes take a long time. In addition, they also had to pay taxes every time they wanted to enter the city.

"Really! Is it just because he's a kid that you let him in for free without waiting? Then, tomorrow we better hire a little boy to trade!"

One by one the merchants protested the actions of the two guards. However, the two guards who were starting to grow furious stuck their spears into the ground violently, striking the merchants with waves of energy. Instantly, everything stopped.

"If anyone still wants to complain, I'll call you back here. I'm sure you all know the character of the inhabitants of the Palace of Gods who are notoriously irritable and angry. I'm very sure the master will gladly accept all your complaints" said the guard.

Hearing the name of the God Palace, the merchants instantly receded their courage. They prostrated themselves and asked forgiveness from the two guards so as not to call upon the master to listen to their grievances. They already knew what their fate would be like if the two guards called out to him.

"Master Guard, we beg for mercy! We are truly shameless in protesting the work of our masters. Please don't call back the master. Let the master continue his activities in the city," one by one they began to apologize and plead with him.

"Enough! Now get up and line up as usual. We'll start the data collection of each of you to prepare the licensing letter in advance!" Said one of the guards.

"Before that, we will also introduce a new policy to make it easier for traders who want to get in and out of the city in the future" said the other began to explain a new policy that makes it easier for them in the future.

After listening carefully to the new policy, traders cheered happily. This new policy makes them no longer need to wait in line to enter the city if they pay for a status for 6 months.

---

After entering the city, the focus of Asta's view along the way are the large and magnificent buildings. Passersby and merchants filled the city, along the way. Many things he could not find while in the village, which was now clearly displayed in this Holy Fire City.

"We're going to split up here. There's something I need to do first, and you go find a building that has the nameplate of the Zao Gharib Animal Gem Shop. After that, you go in and wait until I come," Ace said before leaving, leaving Asta alone with Flares, his teacher who is now only a spirit. Asta began to walk down the city, looking for the building in question.

"Teacher, do you think it's okay to leave a 10-year-old like me in a place this big? What if I get lost?" Asta asked his teacher, pointing to himself.

"What are you afraid of. Here is your teacher who will take care and love you all the time" he said.

Asta just stared at his lazy teacher, while recalling the memories of training with him. "Forget it. After all, your students are independent," he said as he continued walking.

A while later, the thing Asta only realized was that most of the visitors who passed by were cultivators. Although most of them were hiding their weapons, Asta was able to sense from the aura they were emitting along the way.

Half an hour passed, finally Asta found the store referred to by Ace. "It looks like this is the shop that Ace was referring to," he muttered after reading the signboard on it.

"Your teacher smells something. Let's hurry in and buy something, Asta," he said excitedly.

This Gharib Zao Pet Shop is really crowded with visitors. Not only Asta who visited, there are many other people who also came to just see or do a sale and purchase transaction in the store.

A boy with a 12-year-old appearance caught the attention of the visitors, they gave a small smile looking at him before returning to continue his activities and ignoring him. In every group of people, there was a ready-made shopkeeper beside them.

"Teacher, what's that smile?" Ask Asta wonder.

"Just ignore them. You're just a 12-year-old kid, so they're laughing at you for thinking you got the wrong address. After all, this is a supernatural pet store, not a place that children generally visit. So just ignore their treatment and focus on your goals" he said to calm Asta down.

"But Master, I'm 10 years old" he said.

"That's your age, not your body shape. You think there's a 10-year-old with a physique and height like you? Because of your physique, you look older than your real age" Flares explains, explaining the difference between physical age and actual age. Asta nodded in understanding.

As he began to walk around to look around, one of the servant girls approached him, "Young master, is there anything I can help you with?" Ask the waiter, surprising him.

Asta turned to see who was speaking to him. The servant girl smiled kindly at him, "Emm... Sorry Brother, for now it seems like there is no one," Asta replied with a smile.

"Why are you smiling shyly like that? After all, she's a normal servant if she gives you a smile" Flares teased her.

"Silent Teacher! I know that," he answered.

"Young master seems to be looking for Animal Gems to be made into Temporary Spirit Beasts right? Let me guess you'll be leveling up in a minute. If Young Master is confused to choose, I can recommend a suitable Occult Animal Gem to serve as a temporary force for Young Master. You have come to the right place to buy Animal Gems, because our shop is the best shop in the city in terms of Animal Gems," explained the waiter.

Because Ace had previously told him to wait for him, Asta would not want to have to wait for him.

"It seems unnecessary. I came here because I got a recommendation from my friend, so I intend to wait for him first" he said.

"All right then. Young master can look around in advance our store collection. If later the young master is interested in buying something, you can call me again," The girl nodded. After that, he excused himself and went to greet the other guests.

"Teacher, what does that servant mean about the Animal Gem for Temporary Spirit Beasts?" Ask Asta.

"Yes, that's the answer. Using Animal Gems to obtain the Temporary Spirit Beasts without performing the Spirit Treaty Contract to obtain the power of the Unseen Beasts. But keep in mind, the Spirit Beasts obtained from the Animal Gem were not alive, and the power of the Animal Spirit Release was only as strong as the final rank of the Unseen Beasts before dying. Unlike the surviving Spirit Beasts, as long as the Spirit Beasts rose in level, then the power of the Divine Spirit Release would also increase. And again, absorbing the Animal Jewel to become a Spirit Animal is not so easy because you have to deal with the remnants of his consciousness first before you master his abilities," Flares explained at length.

After that, Asta let his curiosity take him around the store, looking through the collection. Various collections such as horns, claws, thorns, bones, teeth, animal gems, and others are available in the store.

"Asta, look back. The old man seemed to be watching us from earlier," Flares told him.

True as his teacher had said, not far from him a middle-aged man was looking at him from earlier. Feeling that he had been caught, Asta walked over.

Apparently the man was a part of this store, it could be seen from the badge that the man used, which was exactly the same as the badge of the previous servant girl, he said, it's just that his is a little different.

"Are you also one of the servants in this place? Actually, my goal here is not to buy, but to sell something. A friend recommended this place to me, can I meet with the store owner to talk about it?" he said, who could not wait for Ace's arrival.

"Asta, what are you saying?!" Flares was surprised.

"Ace is too long and I'm too tired to linger here. If I can sell it myself, why wait for him" he said in self-defense.

"Well then, let's quickly sell and make some money. After that, let's go shopping," he said, who was happy.

The middle-aged man smiled kindly, "Of course. Come with me to see the store owner," he said. The middle-aged man then called out to a servant girl earlier and whispered something to her.

Along with him, Asta walked into a private room with four seats and a large table in the middle. The man invited her to sit down.

Asta complied and sat on a sofa that was very soft and fragrant. While Flares felt strange with the middle-aged man, but he himself was unable to guess what was suspicious. Instead of going to call the owner of the shop that the middle-aged man meant, he even sat down opposite him.

Until finally, Asta could not hold back his curiosity anymore, "Are you the owner of this store?" Asta asked with an awkward smile.

"Who is this young man? Why does it feel like a stranger. Where did this genius kid come from? I really can't identify it just from his clothes. Only the big sects had genius disciples like this, "the inner Manager of Zao, Zaoritsu Riqu.

It would be very embarrassing for him if the person before him was the owner of this shop himself. Because before he had mistakenly thought that he was a shopkeeper.

Sure enough, the middle-aged man smiled kindly, "This uncle's name is Zaoritsu Riqu, but the people around me used to call me Manager Zao. Before I saw you really enjoy the convenience of our store facilities, so it feels a bit impolite if this uncle bothers you," he said softly.

"Ohh..! Uncle, I'm really sorry. Your appearance is really very simple, so I don't know" Asta said in a surprise apology.

Hearing the name Zaoritsu Riqu immediately gives Flares a memory of the past. He felt a strange but familiar feeling since then.

"Look easy. Most new visitors are like you, so there's no need to think about it" he said.

"One more time I'm sorry, Uncle. My name is Asta Raiken, uncle just call me Asta," said Asta introduced himself. Manager Zao raised both of his eyebrows in surprise upon hearing his name. He felt as if he had heard it, but nowhere.

In the middle of their conversation, there was a knock on the door. The servant girl earlier came into the room with two cups of tea on the tray. He also put it on the table.

Shortly after the girl lifted the cover on her glass, a distinctive fragrant aroma wafted from the glass. Finished with his business, he returned to welcome guests who came.

"Teacher, what tea is this? Why is the smell so good?" ask Asta curious.

"It seems that this Manager of Zao thinks highly of you, who is only a boy. It was an herbal concoction made from Galactic Tea," Flares explained.

Seeing his surprise, Manager Zao took the initiative to explain his efficacy clearly, "You don't know it, Asta. This tea is called Mind Purifying Tea, made from one of the high-nutrient herbal medicinal plants, namely Galactic Tea. Its own efficacy to clear the mind and is very useful for those who are practicing Basic Control," explained the Manager about the efficacy of the tea.

After hearing that explanation, Asta nodded in understanding. Asta felt a little awkward after knowing that the tea was not cheap, but Manager Zao used it to greet him.

"Please drink the tea first. After that, we talk about the business we want to do," said the Manager let him.

Asta immediately drank the tea and it's true that the efficacy is really powerful. He felt as difficult as any obstacle, if he drank the tea, surely he could find a way out quickly.

"So, can we talk about our business now?" Manager Zao asked after seeing Asta finish drinking his tea.

Without further ado, Asta directly took out the carcass of the 4th rank Blue Feather Lion from his ring. The Manager was surprised not to play, to the point of standing from his seat.

"It! The carcass of the Blue Feather Lion is in one piece! These animals are very rare and difficult to hunt. Normally they would use their blood to forcefully increase their strength to the point of burning their own bodies. Because of that also the Lion carcass is not an easy thing to get," said Manager Zao.

The thing that really surprised him was not only Asta managed to catch him, but the integrity of the carcass. Because if it was sold to the auction of the Puppet Masters, it would definitely fight over it desperately. Manager Zao did not regret providing the Mind Purifying Tea to welcome him.

"It looks like I'm making a big profit this time," the Manager murmured inwardly.

"Then how are we going to make an exchange for this?" Manager Zao asked, looking forward to getting the Lion immediately.

"Don't be careless, Asta. Consider its rarity and wholeness to determine the price. This boy is very good at deceiving and looking for profit," Flares said, so he would carefully determine the price.

"Babies? Manager Zao looks older than my father, what's that kid?" asta timpal.

"That's it, but I'm older than him by hundreds of years" he replied briefly.

In fact, Flares already knew the exact price for the carcass, but he only wanted to test how his disciple set the price for the Blue Feather Lion, something of rare value.

From the research that Asta has done with the price of unseen animal body parts that reach tens of thousands of gold pieces, Asta wants to answer with the number of hundreds of thousands of gold pieces.

"I want to sell it for three ra.."

"Basin' bad boy! I told you to wait for me, why are you so stubborn! Who gave you permission to sell it anyway..?!" Shouted Ace from outside the room, coming to break down the door, cutting off his speech.

Manager Zao, who was back at the door, did not know who had suddenly come with the rowdy. Asta just chuckled to see it coming full of emotion.

"Naughty Boy! Didn't I tell you to wait for me! If I had been a little late, I would have been deceived by this cunning merchant!" exclaim Ace reprimanding him.

Hearing his name in bad, Manager Zao did not stay silent, "Speaking the origin and position where you are. Otherwise, don't blame me for killing you right now. It's been tampering, vilifying my name anyway. Are you tired of living?!" Manager Zao said softly, but while releasing his battle-ready aura.

Hearing that, Ace smiled in annoyance and immediately overwritten the aura that enveloped the room with an aura of his. Manager Zao instantly fell down, spewing blood.

"Try saying it again! I think I missed something to hear!" said Ace while glancing sharply at him.

After feeling directly the aura of his, Manager Zao immediately knew who the person he offended was. With great effort, he turned around and apologized to her.

"It is fitting that I feel that I know him, it turns out that this is the son of the Sect Chief," the Manager cried inwardly.

Casually, Ace instantly retracted his aura to let him stand, "Getting an apology from me is certainly not free. Give me the Red Demon Taring, then I will let you this time," he said slowly.

Hearing the request, Manager Zao coughed immediately. The wolf did not seem to intend to take it off easily.

"Calm down, in exchange, I will give you this lion carcass, and also I want an additional two hundred thousand pieces of gold, no more and no less" he said.